Cat who came to shelter with letter from deceased owner is adopted

A shy cat named Susie and Montgomery County Animal Services of Montgomery County, Maryland both ended up in the news in a story that went viral last month when the shelter released the contents of a thoughtful letter that Susie’s former owner left for her beloved cat’s next adopter before she died.

Susie came to the shelter in May, brought by the son of Susie’s deceased petmom, who had written the letter with the intention that it would be given to the person who adopted the shy but loving cat. The son was unable to keep Susie due to rental restrictions. Susie had some difficulty adjusting to shelter life and did not quickly find a new home, but shelter staff were able to win her trust and see her friendly side. After two months, MCAs decided to allow the letter to go public in hopes of helping Susie and other cats in similar situations find homes.

The letter opens with: “Dear Friend. Thank you for adopting my friend, Susie,” and continues by giving Susie’s history, telling about her personality, her fears and her likes and dislikes. Susie is said to be “a good snuggler” who “likes to be the boss.” The letter closes by saying, “I hope you enjoy Susie as much as I have.”

The Huffington Post and a couple of other outlets told the story toward the end of July and it spread from there. After a few days, despite getting a lot of attention, Susie still had not found a new home and we decided to wait before posting on the story here.

Susie finally did get her story’s happy ending on August 7. She was adopted by the woman seen in the photos here, which MCAS shared at Facebook that day. The shelter is keeping Susie’s adopter’s identity confidential out of respect for her privacy.

MCAS announced the good news at Facebook on the 7th, writing: “Susie went home! Susie went home! Yes, we’d say it was a good day. Her adopter saw her story and came in to meet her. The rest is history. Congratulations, sweet girl. We know somebody who is happy for you.”

MCAS community outreach coordinator Katherine Zenzano says Susie’s adopter has experience with shy cats and plans to work with her and give her the home she needs.

If you have not already seen the text of the touching letter left by Susie’s caring former guardian, you can read it in full below.

About Karen Harrison Binette

Comments

What a wonderful opportunity to try and win this cats love and trust. To have this letter is such a treasure any adoptee could wish for. Orange female cats are such a rarity. Susie is such a gem in many ways. God bless this kitty, may she be given the love she so deserves and in turn loves her new owner too.